The feeling might begin after the first trip to the dealership for repair, perhaps only identifying itself as a faint sense of unease. After all, you just bought your car new right? It shouldn’t need to be in the shop in the next 50,000 miles, much less the first three or ten? So what is going on? The repair order may or may not identify the problem, but when the issue shows up again the next day or week or month, requiring yet another trip to the shop, the feeling of unease turns into a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. The third, fourth, and even fifth trip turns unease into out and out frustration and aggravation.
If you are at this website, then you most likely know the what I am talking about, and you are most likely looking for answers. So what can you do? Well, the first thing to do is relax if you can. There is hope. The NC lemon law exists to protect consumers like yourself from just these sorts of issues. The question you need answered now is how to protect yourself in the short term and set yourself up for the best chance of success in a lemon claim over the long term. The answer is simple, turn your frustration into motivation. The critical thing to remember is that repair orders (ROs) are critical, perhaps the most important, pieces of evidence that exist in any lemon claim. Make sure that the repair orders you get from the dealership are thorough and adequately spell out both your concerns and what the dealership did about it. If the dealership was unable to ‘duplicate the concern’ then make sure that is the case. Ride along with them if necessary, but make sure your issues are addressed to your satisfaction. Make sure you keep detailed notes on not only the ‘service advisor’, who is often the only name you will see on an RO, but also on the mechanic who actually ‘turned the wrench’ on your car. You have a right to these ROs so make sure you get them all. If you don’t have a record of a visit, then be persistent (but polite) in your request for a copy. Finally, it is a good idea to try to get a ‘warranty repair history’ from the dealer if they will give this to you. This is essentially a summary of all warranty visits for your vehicle no matter where it was conducted.
Second, gather all of your paperwork from the initial sale, both dealing with your vehicle and with any trade in, third party warranties, service contracts, and anything else you can think of from the date of sale. These will help if and when the manufacturer finally agrees to buy your vehicle back or replace it. They also provide valuable information regarding the original sale. While the NC Lemon Law does not require a dealership to repurchase or replace your vehicle, it does require the dealer to repair any issues that are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Finally, give us a call (or call us first if you wish, and then gather all of the above information ). We can help you review the documents to identify the claims that might be available and help you take the first step to getting rid of your lemon.
